Charlie POV
It has been just over an hour since everyone got home, I managed to have some time with just Callie and Jude which was incredible, I am still in shock about the fact that I am finally back with my family, my real family. This is something I have wished for everyday since I entered the foster system and it's hard to believe that it has actually come true. My time with Callie and Jude consisted mostly of talking about the two of them, Jude told me all about his school and his friends, he seems so happy, I don't think I have smiled that much in a very long time. From the way the two of them talked I could tell how happy they both are here and it's obvious how loved Callie and Jude are in this house, the way Stef and Lena look at them is with pure love, they have definitely found their perfect forever family. I am so happy for them but I can't shake the feeling of jealously that has been sitting in the bottom of my stomach, I want this, I want this love, I want this family.
I look around the dinner table, I am placed between Callie and Jude, with the rest of the Foster family sitting around the other sides of table. Everyone is taking turns dishing up food onto their plates, there are three big bowls placed in the middle of the table, one filled with spaghetti pasta, one with meatballs and one with a fresh salad. It looks absolutely delicious but I can't bring myself to dish myself some food onto my plate, this is so foreign to me and the fact that I am even allowed to be sitting up here at the table with the family seems unreal. I must clearly look awkward because Stef looks over to me "Help yourself to as much as you want love" "A..ah yeah okay, I will. thanks" I give Stef a small smile. Most of the family has dished up their food now so I put a little bit of each food on my plate, after my experience with lunch I already know i'm not going to be able to eat much and I don't want to waste any food. After a small moment of silence the family erupts in conversation, talking about their day, homework and what they want to get up to on the weekend. I don't include myself in the conversation, rather I silently eat the food on my plate as I listen to the many voices talking around me. Although I feel out of place here it does feel nice to be surrounded by a family who is so strong and who clearly love one another more then anything else in this world.
After dinner the evening seemed to move fast, everyone went their separate ways almost instantly. Jesus and Jude helped Lena with the dishes while Brandon and Mariana went back up stairs, Brandon still didn't really interact with me during the family dinner but it doesn't faze me too much, I am use to being ignored. Stef went off to get the couch ready for me to sleep on and Callie showed me to the shower where she also offered me a pair of her pyjamas to put on afterwards. I am now standing in front of the mirror in the upstairs bathroom, it feels good to be clean and if I look past my battered body I guess you could say that I am beginning to look like a normal teenager again. I let out a yawn as tiredness begins to overcome me, I am actually looking forward to sleeping tonight, I am finally going to be able to sleep without one eye open. I throw on Callie's pyjama top, flinching at the movement, the pain has decreased a little bit now that I have had some painkillers. Stef offered me some before my shower, I didn't want to admit that I was in pain but she seems to be able to read me like a book so I decided to take the pills and thank her rather than having to lie about my pain. At least this way I can save the ones in my duffel bag incase I need them in the future. During the interaction Stef acted like she wanted to talk to me about my bruises but I was quick to change the subject again, I know I should probably ask for some help but I really don't want to be a burden, I just want to be in the background so the Foster family can continue with their regular lives. This idea seems to be failing miserably though because Stef told me her and Jude have taken the day off work and school tomorrow to be here with me, I tried to tell her that wasn't necessary but she insisted and I didn't want to make a big fuss. I take my eyes off from my reflection in the mirror and head to the door, as I walk out I almost run straight into Brandon "Oh sorry, I'm sorry I took ages. Sorry" Brandon looks me in the eyes, the first time he has done this since we met, he shrugs "It's okay kid" he shows a glimmer of a smile before he walks past me and shuts the door behind him, well I guess that's progress.
I walk my way down the stairs towards the living room, it's now dark outside and most of the family seem to already be in their bedrooms, Lena said goodnight to me before my shower and Stef, Callie and Jude said they would wait up until I was settled before they went to bed. I walk into the living room and I see that the couch is now made up with pillows and a big blanket, it actually looks surprisingly cosy, Stef and Jude are cuddling on the armchair as they watch something on the TV and I can here bustling happening in the kitchen which i'm guessing is Callie. Stef looks towards me "You feel better after your shower sweets?" "Yes, thank you" she nods back to me "What about those painkillers? Have they helped?" I nod in return. Callie walks into the room at this moment, she is carrying a glass of water, a wheat bag and some more painkillers "I have a few supplies for your night, the wheat bag is nice and warm so if you have any pain this will hopefully help and here's some painkillers for you to take in the morning" She places the items on the coffee table before she comes over to me and wraps me in another hug "If you need anything we will just be up there, you can wake me up at any time. okay?" Stef chimes in at this point "And the same goes for Lena and I, if you need anything, anything at all you can just knock on our bedroom door" she says with a smile. I reply with a nod although I know I would never ever wake anybody up intentionally, not even if I was dying. Stef taps Jude on the knee before she grabs the remote to turn the TV off "Right well i'm going to call it a night" she stands up and heads towards the stairs "Night my loves don't stay up too late. Callie remember you have school tomorrow and we all know what you are like when you haven't had a decent sleep" Callie rolls her eyes "Jude and I will be up in a minute" "Sounds good bug". Before Stef leaves the room she looks in my direction "Remember, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask, see you in the morning" she says before she starts her ascend up the stairs. Jude stands up and joins the hug Callie and I are sharing "I'm so glad you're here" he says, "Me too" I reply with yet another smile on my face, even if this is only temporary i'm glad I have experienced this day, it proves that I did the right thing to never lose that tiny glimmer of hope I have held on to over all these years. Callie is the first to pull herself from the hug "Me and Jude are going to head up to bed now, are you sure you're okay down here?" "Yeah I will be fine" "I hope this is okay" Callie says as she looks at the couch "When I first came here I slept on the couch for a few nights and it wasn't too bad" "No.. no it's perfect. Thank you" Callie replies to me with a nod "Okay well have a good sleep and we will see you tomorrow morning?" she says this as a question, almost like she isn't sure if I will still be here tomorrow "Yeah, see you tomorrow" I smile at both Callie and Jude, we have another three way hug before Callie and Jude make their way up to their bedrooms. I turn off the lights and climb under the covers, it's a lot comfier then where I slept last night thats for sure. I lay there thinking about Callies last question, I guess I am technically a runaway now so she is probably worried I'll run from here. I hadn't thought about running until Callie questioned it but the thought of being a burden makes running feel like a plausible option but not for tonight, tonight I want to feel safe, tonight I want to stay. I close my eyes and a deep sleep soon overcomes me.
Stef POV
Morning arrives and I wake up with a stretch, my body and mind feel much more alive today, I only woke up two times throughout the night. Both times I did the rounds and checked on all the kids, my protective Mom instincts couldn't not check after the crazy day we had yesterday. Surprisingly all the kids were asleep on each check, even Charlie who didn't look like she had moved an inch all night, I'm glad she got some sleep, she looked exhausted yesterday. I climb out of bed, I am taking another day off work today so I want to get some work done before the rest of the family wake up, I have a few urgent reports to fill out which I know the chief would be disappointed if they are not finished by lunchtime. I get changed and make my way down the stairs, keeping quiet as to not disturb the rest of the house.
I'm surprised to find Charlies bedding stacked up in a tidy pile as I walk past the living room, it's five in the morning, a time that most teenagers wouldn't ever be out of bed by. My heart instantly begins to race, did she leave? did she run? I walk further into the living area where I see her blue duffel bag is still stilling next to the couch. Phew, she must be around here somewhere. I hear the fridge open from the kitchen and make my way there, when I enter the room I see Charlie about to pour herself a glass of cold water "Good morning" Charlie jumps the second she hears the sound of my voice, she drops the glass to the floor where it shatters sending glass shards all around her feet. She instantly gets a panicked look across her face and bends down to pick up the pieces of glass "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" she mumbles, I run over to her "I'm sorry I frightened you, I should have given you a bit more warning that I was in the room" I look to Charlie now who has a tear drop running down her cheek. I pull my hand up and wipe her tear away "Hey, it's okay. It was just an accident and we have lots of other glasses. How about you go and find another one and I can pick this up" She looks up towards me the panic is still very much present in her eyes "Wha.. what if I woke somebody up?" "Trust me, those kids can sleep through anything, you could probably start playing the drums and they would still stay sleeping" Charlie gives me a smirk before she talks again "What about Lena?" I get the feeling that Charlie is less scared about the actual glass breaking and more about her waking up somebody with the noise, it breaks my heart knowing that something bad must have happened to make her feel like this. I quickly reassure her that she is okay here "Lena usually gets up soon anyway and even if you did wake her she wouldn't be angry" I give Charlies hand a squeeze, it surprises me when she ever so slightly squeezes my hand in return.
A short time later I have the glass all cleaned up and Charlie and I are sitting opposite each other at the table, she hasn't taken her eyes off from her fresh glass of water since the incident and I can sense she is still feeling worried about it all. I try to start up a conversation to push her worried thoughts aside "How did you sleep sweets?" she doesn't take her eyes off from her glass as she answers "It was fine, thanks" "That's good and how are you feeling today? Are you still in any pain?" I had noticed that the painkillers Callie had put out last night were sitting on the kitchen bench so I am presuming that was the reason Charlie had been pouring herself a glass of water in the first place. Charlie looks up in the direction of those said painkillers before she looks back to her glass "Umm i'm fine" she is determined to cover up those injuries but what she doesn't know about me is I am just as determined, I have made it a mission of mine to make sure she is actually okay. I'm not going to push too hard but i'm also not going to push it completely to the side like I did yesterday. After all Charlie is in the care of Lena and I now which means it's our job to make sure her wellbeing is being protected. I stand up and grab the painkillers before sitting back down in front of Charlie "Are you sure? because I have a feeling you were about to take some of these when I first walked in. Which means you are not just fine" Charlie looks up, shifting her gaze between myself and the painkillers in my hand. She takes a moment before she talks again "I guess it is still a bit sore" not as much information as i would like but at least she is telling me some of the truth, I remove two pills from the packet before placing them in front of Charlie, she is quick to pick them up and gulp them down with her water. This quick gesture proving to me just how much pain this girl is in, she was almost diving for those painkillers as soon as I placed them down. I know Charlie has just met me and she probably has no trust in me but I'm going to try my luck "Charlie, I know you don't know me, so you have no reason to trust me yet but I know you have some more injuries from the incident that happened in your previous home" Charlie is looking down but I can tell she is listening to me so I continue "I want you to know that you are truely safe in this home and we are not going to hurt you or make you do anything you don't want to do, okay?" she gives a small nod. I move my hand across the table and place it over hers, she flinches at first but she doesn't pull away so I leave it there "I really think you should have someone look at your stomach, whether it is myself or Lena or even a doctor if you don't feel comfortable with either of us..." I pause before I say my next statement "I just.. I would never forgive myself if something was seriously wrong and I did nothing to help you". I know i'm playing the guilt card but if she is anything like her sister then I know she will react to the fact she might be making someone else unhappy by not getting help for herself. Just as I thought within a few seconds she looks up to me with more tears in her eyes, she opens her mouth to talk but shuts it again, I can see her mind processing as she is deciding what she wants to do. Through this I feel my confidence rising, she might actually talk but that quick thought is shutdown when Charlie speaks again "I'm fine" the two words ring through my ears, I'm fine, I'm fine, she is not bloody fine, she is not even close to being fine. I want to tell her she needs to get checked, I want to tell her she cannot have anymore painkillers until she lets someone look at her stomach but I am not her mother and I have no right to insist that she is not in fact fine so as much as it pains me I once again let it slide "Okay but please take into account what I said. I truly mean it, If you change your mind about letting us help you then please don't be afraid to ask" Charlie nods again before she separates her hand from mine "Can I go sit outside?" "Of course" she stands up from her seat and walks out the back door. I let out a sigh as I stand up to make my way to the coffee machine, looking out the back window I see the silhouette of Charlie in the still dark morning, my heart breaks as I watch her head fall into her arms and her shoulders begin to shake. I just want to run outside and throw this girl into my arms and tell her everything is going to be okay but how can I do that when I don't know if that is the truth.
The next thirty minutes go by fast, within that time I manage to finish one report between constantly checking on Charlie in the backyard. She seemed to stop crying after about ten minutes and now she is just siting out there staring into space. Lena came down about ten minutes ago, she is already showered and ready to start her day. I replayed the events of this morning to her in which she luckily slept through, she is currently staring out of the window at Charlie with worry written on her face "Maybe I should go out and see if she is okay?" she says "Charlie needs space my love, this morning would have been overwhelming for her and we don't want to push her away. Once everyone has left for school I will try talk to her again and I promise I will keep you updated" she finally walks away from the window "It's just so hard to see a child like this. It's like going through Callie and Jude all over again" I hold Lenas hand just as I had held Charlies earlier "I know love, I know how much you want to help her. I want that too and we will, we just have to give her time". Lena nods "I will keep my phone close incase you need to call for anything".
The rest of the morning ran smoothly, the kids slowly got up from bed and had their breakfast. Callie spent some time with Charlie outside before she made her way in to eat, she said that Charlie wasn't hungry and seemed happy to stay outside. At eight everyone grabbed their bags and left to make the journey to school. Jude made his way down at about eight thirty, he served up two bowls of breakfast one for himself and one for Charlie, he took them both outside where they sat together for another thirty minutes. During this time I finished most of the work I wanted to complete, so I decided to pack my computer away and start to clean up the carnage that breakfast created. Just as I am finishing up Jude and Charlie make their way into the house, Jude places their bowls into the sink, he looks at me then diverts his gaze back to Charlie "It's okay" he says, Charlie looks down at her feet as she begins to talk "I.. uhh... I think I want your help" I'm taken aback, I didn't expect Charlie to come to me for help this soon, especially after the failed attempt this morning but there is no way I am letting this request slide. I stop cleaning straight away and walk closer to Charlie "Of course love, how do you want me to help?" "I..um...my.. um..I think my stomach is bad, it..it hasn't been this bad before and it's getting..it's getting worse. Can.. Can you.. maybe.. look at it?" Charlie stumbles through her words, she sounds almost terrified to ask me for help, I guess she hasn't asked for help from anyone in years. I grab her hand "Yes, yes of course. Why don't we head into the living room and I can have a look there?" "Yeah okay...thanks" she says, she makes her way into the living room leaving just Jude and I in the kitchen "How did you manage to get her to ask for help?" I whisper to Jude, he replies with a shrug "I didn't really say much, she keep saying that she wasn't hungry and I asked why, she said her stomach was really sore so I just said that maybe there was something wrong and she kind of decided herself that she wanted to ask you for help" he shrugs again before he follows Charlie into the living room. I brace myself for what I might end up seeing before I too make my way towards the living area.
Charlie POV
I'm sitting on the couch waiting for Stef and Jude to follow me into the living room, I can't believe I asked for help, it's so unlike me to ask for anything but the look on Stefs face when I told her I was fine completely messed with me. She looked so disappointed, I couldn't handle being around her any longer so I had to take myself outside. She knew I was lying and I told myself I wouldn't lie anymore. Over the course of the morning I ran over the different scenario's in my head, I kept swaying from asking for help and not and eventually I decided I would ask. My stomach is not even close to getting better and the pain has almost doubled since yesterday morning so the pros of asking for help definitely overrode the cons. Jude walks in first and sits beside me and Stef makes her way in soon after. She sits on the coffee table in front of me "You ready?" she asks me, my heart is racing but I know I can't change my mind now so I nod before I start to lift my t-shirt up to reveal my stomach. I already know it's bad but the look on Stefs face when she first sees my stomach makes me believe that it might be even worse then I think. She moves closer "Oh my god Charlie, How could anyone do this to you" I shrug "It's just what happens in the system" "Well it shouldn't be happening. Do you mind if I touch your stomach love?" I shrug again "Uh yeah it's okay" Stef moves her hand over my stomach and gently presses down, oh my god the pain shoots up my entire body and I can't help the grunt the escapes my lips. Stef looks at me worried "I think we should take you to the hospital love, this really doesn't look good and you could have some internal injuries" I don't want to go to the hospital, I hate hosptials, that's where I was left, that's where my nightmare began. I shake my head "No..no I can't go there" Stef continues to insist "I can be there the whole time if you want me too, I just really believe a doctor needs to check you over. I promise you I won't let anything bad happen" I look into Stefs eyes and I truly do believe she is telling me the truth, I then look to Jude who gives me a nod "Okay, okay. I'll go." Hopefully I am making the right decision.
Please keep reviewing, I love the feedback.
